Jerry Hughes excited to be 'fast and violent' in Bills 4-3 defense

The Buffalo Bills defensive line rejoiced when they learned that new head coach Sean McDermott would be installing his 4-3 defense to the team after several players voiced their displeasure with how they were used within Rex Ryan’s hybrid 3-4 scheme.

Defensive end Jerry Hughes joined the Bills in 2013 after being traded from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for linebacker Kelvin Sheppard. During his first two seasons with the team, the Bills primarily ran a 4-3 front and Hughes thrived, racking up 20 sacks, 22 tackles for loss and 38 quarterback hits. Under Ryan, Hughes was moved from his natural defensive end position to an outside linebacker role and his production took a dip, as he notched just 11 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in the Bills’ previous two seasons.

Hughes made an appearance on WGR-550’s ‘The John Murphy Show’ and discussed his excitement about returning back to a 4-3, where he and his teammates had previously excelled.

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Hughes was asked about the differences between McDermott’s system and the system Buffalo ran in 2014 under former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The 28-year old veteran explained that it was very similar and he was excited to ‘wipe the slate clean’ after playing under Ryan for two years.

“It’s a 4-3 defense, that’s about as similar as it gets,” Hughes said. “I mean the nuances, as far as the language we talk, our assignments, the formations, they’re all different. So we have to wipe the slate clean and learn a new defense and it’s been a lot of fun for us, just because it has allowed us to focus on our technique up front.”

Buffalo’s front four was one of the most dominant groups in the NFL under Mike Pettine and Schwartz, but they weren’t able to generate the same type of pressure upon opposing quarterbacks under Ryan.

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Now, Hughes says that he, along with defensive tackles Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams and fellow defensive end Shaq Lawson are ‘happy’ to be back in a scheme that fits their skills.

“This year I’m going forward a lot more. In the past, you have to communicate a lot more as an outside linebacker and that’s a lot more responsibilities,” said Hughes. “Now, I get to pin my ears back, get off the football, get my hands on an offensive lineman. Be fast and violent and I’ve always loved that aspect.”

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Hughes generated 50 quarterback pressures last season, according to Pro Football Focus, but he wasn’t able to convert those into sacks. With a new scheme that he’s familiar with, Hughes will look to get back to his previous form and wreak having on opposing passers.